WO2021201304A1 - Method and device for assisting autonomous driving - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and a device for assisting autonomous driving are provided. The device collects information about the surroundings of an autonomous driving vehicle on a driving path, and determines the risk of collision between the autonomous driving vehicle and an object on the basis of the information about the surroundings. The device transmits an assisting message to the autonomous driving vehicle on the basis of the risk of collision.

Description

Methods and devices for assisting autonomous driving

The present specification relates to autonomous driving, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for assisting autonomous driving.

A vehicle is a device that moves a passenger from one place to another. A typical example is a car. V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication technology, which means vehicle-to-things communication, refers to a technology in which a vehicle communicates with other vehicles, pedestrians, road infrastructure, and servers to provide a series of services.

For V2X, various communication standards are provided by standardization organizations such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) is a communication standard protocol based on IEEE 802.11. Long Term Evolution (LTE) and New Radio (NR) of 3GPP also provide communication protocols for V2X.

Along with V2X, partially or fully autonomous vehicles are emerging. This autonomous vehicle needs to exchange more data with surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, and servers with low latency and high reliability.

In general, autonomous vehicles support only V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) communication that provides communication with the main vehicle. However, if the autonomous vehicle can communicate with the server, more diverse information can be provided.

The present specification provides a method and apparatus for assisting autonomous driving.

In one aspect, a method performed by a server to assist autonomous driving is provided. The method includes receiving information about a driving route from an autonomous driving vehicle, collecting information about the surroundings of the autonomous driving vehicle on the driving path, and risk of collision between the autonomous vehicle and an object based on the surrounding information of collision), and if the risk of collision exceeds a predetermined criterion, generating an assisting message, and transmitting the assisting message to the autonomous vehicle.

In another aspect, a server assisting autonomous driving includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to perform a function. The function receives information about a driving route from the autonomous driving vehicle, collects information about the surroundings of the autonomous driving vehicle on the driving path, and risks of collision between the autonomous vehicle and an object based on the surrounding information. of collision), and if the risk of collision exceeds a predetermined criterion, generating an assisting message, and transmitting the assisting message to the autonomous vehicle.

The autonomous vehicle can recognize the surrounding situation in real time by using both sensor information and information from the server, so driving safety can be improved.

1 shows a system to which an embodiment is applied.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle implementing the present embodiment.

3 shows an example in which the vehicle is running.

4 shows an example in which signal quality is changed on a driving route.

5 illustrates a map generation method according to an embodiment of the present specification.

6 shows another example of generating a signal quality map.

7 shows an example in which the autonomous driving vehicle is driven.

8 shows another example in which the autonomous vehicle is driven.

9 illustrates an operation of assisting autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present specification.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of assisting autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present specification.

Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present specification (disclosure) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in the present specification are not limited by the accompanying drawings.

Terms including an ordinal number, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it is understood that the other component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In the following description, the left side of the vehicle means the left side in the forward driving direction of the vehicle, and the right side of the vehicle means the right side in the forward driving direction of the vehicle.

1 shows a system to which an embodiment is applied.

The system 100 includes a vehicle 200 , a base station 110 , and a server 120 . The vehicle 200 may communicate with the base station 110 and/or the surrounding vehicle 130 using a wireless communication protocol. There are no restrictions on wireless communication protocols, for example, Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) based on IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11, WiFi, C-V2X and/or 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) based of a cellular communication protocol (eg, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), New Radio (NR), etc.).

The base station 110 may communicate with the vehicle 200 or other base stations using various wireless communication protocols such as DSRC, C-V2X, and cellular communication protocols.

The server 120 is connected to one or more base stations 110 and includes computing hardware that provides a driving data service to the vehicle 200 . For example, the computing hardware may include a processor and memory. The memory stores map data and driving environment information described in the following embodiments, and the processor may provide the data to the vehicle 200 . The processor may update the map data based on data received from one or more vehicles 200 . The server may be a Mobile/Mutli-access Edge Computing (MEC) based server or a centralized based server.

The vehicle 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention is defined as a means of transport traveling on a road or track. The vehicle 200 is a concept including a car, a train, and a motorcycle. The vehicle 200 may be a concept including an internal combustion engine vehicle having an engine as a power source, a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor as a power source, and an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a power source. The vehicle 200 may be a vehicle owned by an individual. The vehicle 200 may be a shared vehicle. The vehicle 200 may be an autonomous driving vehicle.

The vehicle 200 may be set to operate autonomously. Autonomous driving refers to driving without the assistance of a human driver, for example. In the autonomous driving mode, the vehicle 200 may be set to detect the surrounding vehicle 130 and determine the path of the detected vehicle. The vehicle 200 may communicate with the surrounding vehicle 130 to exchange information.

The vehicle 200 may perform a switching operation from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode or a switching operation from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode. For example, the vehicle 200 may change the mode of the vehicle 10 from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode or from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode based on a signal received from the user interface device.

At least one Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) function may be supported in manual driving or autonomous driving. ADAS includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), ), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Target Following Assist (TFA), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Adaptive High Beam Control (HBA) , Auto Parking System (APS), Pedestrian Collision Warning System (PD Collision Warning System), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), Trafffic Sign Assist (TSA), Night Vision System At least one of a Night Vision (NV), a Driver Status Monitoring (DSM), and a Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) may be implemented.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle implementing the present embodiment.

The vehicle 200 includes a control device 210 , a user interface device 220 , an acceleration device 230 , a braking device 240 , a steering device 250 , and a sensing device. (sensing device, 260) and may include an engine (engine, 270). The devices presented are merely examples, and not all devices are essential. The vehicle 200 may further include additional devices, or specific devices may be omitted. Some of the devices have their own processors and can perform processing related to specific functions of the device.

The user interface device 220 is a device for communicating between the vehicle 200 and a user. The user interface device 220 may receive a user input and provide information generated in the vehicle 200 to the user. The vehicle 200 may implement a user interface (UI) or a user experience (UX) through the user interface device 220 . The user interface device 220 may include an input device, an output device, and a user monitoring device.

The acceleration device 230 may be a mechanism configured to accelerate the vehicle 200 . The brake device 240 may be a mechanism set to decelerate the vehicle 200 . The steering device 250 may be a mechanism set to control the direction of the vehicle 200 . The vehicle 200 may accelerate through the acceleration device 230 , decelerate through the brake device 240 , and change a driving direction through the steering device 250 . At least one of the acceleration device 230 , the brake device 240 , and the steering device 250 may be controlled by the control device 210 and/or an additional controller to control the speed and direction of the vehicle 200 . .

The sensing device 260 may include one or more sensors configured to sense information about the location/speed of the vehicle 200 and/or the environment of the vehicle 200 . The sensing device 260 may include a location data generating device for measuring a geographic location of the vehicle 200 and/or an object detecting device for recognizing an object around the vehicle 200 .

The object detecting apparatus may generate information about an object outside the vehicle 200 . The information about the object may include at least one of information on the existence of the object, location information of the object, distance information between the vehicle 200 and the object, and relative speed information between the vehicle 200 and the object. . The object detecting apparatus may detect an object outside the vehicle 200 . The object detecting apparatus may include at least one sensor capable of detecting an object outside the vehicle 200 . The object detecting apparatus may include at least one of a camera, a radar, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, and an infrared sensor. The object detection apparatus may provide data on an object generated based on a sensing signal generated by the sensor to at least one control device included in the vehicle 200 .

The camera may generate information about an object outside the vehicle 200 by using the image. The camera may include at least one lens, at least one image sensor, and at least one processor that is electrically connected to the image sensor to process a received signal, and generate data about the object based on the processed signal.

The camera may be at least one of a mono camera, a stereo camera, and an AVM (Around View Monitoring) camera. The camera may obtain position information of the object, distance information from the object, or relative speed information with the object by using various image processing algorithms. For example, the camera may acquire distance information and relative velocity information from an object based on a change in the size of the object over time from the acquired image. For example, the camera may acquire distance information and relative speed information with respect to an object through a pinhole model, road surface profiling, or the like. For example, the camera may acquire distance information and relative velocity information from an object based on disparity information in a stereo image obtained from the stereo camera.

The camera may be mounted at a position where a field of view (FOV) can be secured in the vehicle in order to photograph the outside of the vehicle. The camera may be disposed adjacent to the front windshield in the interior of the vehicle to acquire an image of the front of the vehicle. The camera may be placed around the front bumper or radiator grill. The camera may be disposed adjacent to the rear glass in the interior of the vehicle to acquire an image of the rear of the vehicle. The camera may be placed around the rear bumper, trunk or tailgate. The camera may be disposed adjacent to at least one of the side windows in the interior of the vehicle in order to acquire an image of the side of the vehicle. Alternatively, the camera may be disposed around a side mirror, a fender or a door.

The radar may generate information about an object outside the vehicle 200 using radio waves. The radar may include an electromagnetic wave transmitter, an electromagnetic wave receiver, and at least one processor that is electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave transmitter and the electromagnetic wave receiver, processes a received signal, and generates data for an object based on the processed signal. The radar may be implemented in a pulse radar method or a continuous wave radar method in terms of a radio wave emission principle. The radar may be implemented as a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) method or a frequency shift keyong (FSK) method according to a signal waveform among continuous wave radar methods. The radar detects an object based on an electromagnetic wave, a time of flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method, and detects the position of the detected object, the distance to the detected object, and the relative speed. can The radar may be placed at a suitable location outside of the vehicle to detect objects located in front, rear or side of the vehicle.

The lidar may generate information about an object outside the vehicle 200 using laser light. The lidar may include at least one processor that is electrically connected to the light transmitter, the light receiver, and the light transmitter and the light receiver, processes the received signal, and generates data about the object based on the processed signal. . The lidar may be implemented in a time of flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method. Lidar can be implemented as driven or non-driven. When implemented as a driving type, the lidar is rotated by a motor and may detect an object around the vehicle 200 . When implemented as a non-driven type, the lidar may detect an object located within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle by light steering. Vehicle 200 may include a plurality of non-driven lidar. LiDAR detects an object based on a time of flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method with a laser light medium, and calculates the position of the detected object, the distance to the detected object, and the relative speed. can be detected. The lidar may be placed at a suitable location outside of the vehicle to detect an object located in front, rear or side of the vehicle.

The location data generating apparatus may generate location data of the vehicle 200 . The apparatus for generating location data may include at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). The location data generating apparatus may generate location data of the vehicle 200 based on a signal generated by at least one of GPS and DGPS. According to an embodiment, the apparatus for generating location data may correct location data based on at least one of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) of the sensing device 260 and a camera of the object detecting apparatus. The location data generating device may be referred to as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

The sensing device 260 may include a state sensor configured to sense the state of the vehicle 200 . The status sensor includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, a collision sensor, a wheel sensor, a speed sensor, an inclination sensor, a weight sensor, a heading sensor, a position module, and a vehicle forward/reverse sensor. , a battery sensor, a fuel sensor, a tire sensor, a steering sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an illuminance sensor, and may include at least one of a pedal position sensor. Meanwhile, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor may include at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a magnetic sensor.

The sensing device 260 may generate state data of the vehicle based on a signal generated by at least one sensor. The vehicle state data may be information generated based on data sensed by various sensors provided inside the vehicle. The sensing device 260 may include vehicle attitude data, vehicle motion data, vehicle yaw data, vehicle roll data, vehicle pitch data, vehicle collision data, vehicle direction data, vehicle angle data, and vehicle speed. data, vehicle acceleration data, vehicle inclination data, vehicle forward/reverse data, vehicle weight data, battery data, fuel data, tire pressure data, vehicle interior temperature data, vehicle interior humidity data, steering wheel rotation angle data, vehicle exterior illumination Data, pressure data applied to the accelerator pedal, pressure data applied to the brake pedal, and the like may be generated.

The engine 270 provides propulsion to the vehicle 200 . The engine 270 may include an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof.

The control device 210 communicates with the user interface device 220 , the acceleration device 230 , the brake device 240 , the steering device 250 , and the sensing device 260 to exchange various information or to control these devices. can

The control device 210 may include a processor 211 and a memory 212 . The control device 210 may include one or more sub-devices according to functions, and each sub-device includes at least one of a processor and a memory, and is configured to perform processing related to the function of the corresponding sub-device. can For example, the control device 210 may include a telematics control unit (TCU) responsible for communication inside and outside the vehicle 200 .

The control device 210 may include an autonomous driving device in charge of autonomous driving. The control device 210 may include an infotainment system or AVN (Audio Video Navigation) system that displays driving information to passengers or provides various entertainment. According to the following embodiments, the control device 210 may include a TCU or an infotainment system. Alternatively, the control device 210 may include a combination of a TCU and an infotainment system or a combination of other functions.

The control device 210 for autonomous driving may generate a path for autonomous driving based on the obtained data. The control device 210 may generate a driving plan for driving along the generated path. The control device 210 may generate a signal for controlling the movement of the vehicle according to the driving plan. The autonomous driving device 210 may provide the generated signal to the accelerator 230 , the brake device 240 , the steering device 250 , and the engine 270 .

The processor 211 is an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), CPU (central processing unit), AP (application processor), DSPs (digital signal processors), DSPDs (digital signal processing devices), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), microcontrollers, chipsets, logic circuits, data processing devices, and/or combinations thereof. In the software implementation for the following embodiments, the software code for performing the functions described herein may be stored in the memory 212 and processed by the processor 211 .

Memory 212 may store information accessible by processor 211 . The information may include instructions executable by the processor 211 and/or data processed by the processor. Memory 212 may include any form of computer-readable medium operative to store information. For example, the memory 212 may include a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a digital video disc (DVD), an optical disc, a flash memory, a solid state drive (SSD), a hard drive ( hard drive) and combinations thereof.

Although the control device 210 is shown to include a processor and a memory as one physical block, the control device 210 may include a plurality of processors and a plurality of memories, and may be physically or logically operably connected.

The control device 210 may be connected to the display device 280 for displaying information. The display device 280 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) touch screen or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, and includes various sensors (video camera, microphone, etc.) for detecting the state or gesture of the passenger. may include

The control device 210 may be connected to a wireless modem 290 configured to communicate with other devices through a wireless medium. The control device 210 may exchange a wireless signal with a mobile device or server ( 120 in FIG. 1 ) or a surrounding vehicle inside/outside the vehicle 200 through the wireless modem 290 . There is no limitation on the wireless communication protocol supported by the wireless modem 290 , and the wireless modem 290 may support various wireless communication protocols such as cellular communication, WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and an infrared link.

The memory 212 of the control device 210 may have map information and/or driving plan data. The driving plan data may include information about a vehicle trajectory for the vehicle 200 to track the location of the vehicle from the current location to the destination. The driving plan data may be used to guide the driver on a route or for autonomous driving. The map information may include various maps for defining the driving environment. Map information includes the shape and elevation of a roadway, lane lines, intersections, crosswalks, speed limits, traffic signals, buildings or other objects. I may include information. The map information may further include real-time traffic information, obstacles on the road, road condition information, and the like. The map information and the driving plan data may be updated based on information given by the server 120 or may be updated based on information detected by the sensing device 260 of the vehicle 200 .

The control device 210 may generate Electronic Horizon Data. The electronic horizon data may be understood as driving plan data within a range from a point where the vehicle 200 is located to a horizon. The horizon may be understood as a point in front of a preset distance from a point where the vehicle 200 is located based on a preset driving route. The horizon may mean a point to which the vehicle 200 can reach after a predetermined time from a point where the vehicle 200 is located along a preset driving route.

The electronic horizon data may include horizon map data and horizon pass data.

The horizon map data may include at least one of topology data, road data, HD map data, and dynamic data. According to an embodiment, the horizon map data may include a plurality of layers. For example, the horizon map data may include a first layer matching topology data, a second layer matching road data, a third layer matching HD map data, and a fourth layer matching dynamic data. The horizon map data may further include static object data.

Topology data can be described as a map created by connecting road centers. The topology data is suitable for roughly indicating the location of the vehicle, and may be in the form of data mainly used in navigation for drivers. The topology data may be understood as data on road information excluding information on lanes. The topology data may be generated based on data received from an external server. The topology data may be based on data stored in at least one memory provided in the vehicle 200 .

The road data may include at least one of slope data of the road, curvature data of the road, and speed limit data of the road. The road data may further include data on an overtaking prohibited section. The road data may be based on data received from an external server. The road data may be based on data generated by the object detecting apparatus.

HD map data includes detailed lane-by-lane topology information of the road, connection information of each lane, and characteristic information for vehicle localization (eg, traffic signs, Lane Marking/attributes, Road furniture, etc.). can The HD map data may be based on data received from an external server through the communication device 220 .

The dynamic data may include various dynamic information that may be generated on the road. For example, the dynamic data may include construction information, variable speed lane information, road surface condition information, traffic information, moving object information, and the like. The dynamic data may be based on data received from an external server. The dynamic data may be based on data generated by the object detecting apparatus.

The horizon pass data may be described as a trajectory that the vehicle 200 can take within a range from a point where the vehicle 200 is located to the horizon. The horizon pass data may include data representing a relative probability of selecting any one road at a decision point (eg, a fork, a junction, an intersection, etc.). The relative probability may be calculated based on the time it takes to arrive at the final destination. For example, at the decision point, if the time taken to arrive at the final destination is shorter when selecting the first road than when selecting the second road, the probability of selecting the first road is higher than the probability of selecting the second road. can be calculated higher.

The horizon pass data may include a main path and a sub path. The main path may be understood as a track connecting roads with a high relative probability of being selected. The sub-path may diverge at at least one decision point on the main path. The sub-path may be understood as a trajectory connecting at least one road having a low relative probability of being selected from at least one decision point on the main path.

When a vehicle operates autonomously or non-autonomously, it is necessary to communicate with a server or a user device with high reliability via a wireless communication network. However, since the vehicle is driven in various environments, it may be difficult to guarantee communication reliability.

3 shows an example in which the vehicle is running.

Assume that the vehicle 200 is driven along a driving path 310 from point A to point B. This allows the vehicle 200 to operate autonomously. Alternatively, a map showing the driving route 310 may be displayed to the driver, and the driver may directly drive the vehicle.

The vehicle 200 may communicate with the server 120 through the first base station 110a at point A, and communicate with the server 210 through the second base station 110b at point B. The number or arrangement of base stations or servers is merely an example. One or more base stations may be disposed on the driving path 310 . In addition, one or more servers may be deployed for each base station.

Signal quality with the base station on the driving path 310 may be changed for various reasons. For example, the distance between the vehicle and the base station, the number of vehicles on the road, the arrangement of buildings, etc. may cause various path loss and signal quality may change. When the signal quality drops to a certain level, the communication quality between the vehicle 200 and the server 120 may not be guaranteed or the communication connection may be cut off.

4 shows an example in which signal quality is changed on a driving route.

An example of signal quality is signal strength. The signal strength may include at least one of Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), and Signal to Interference Noise Ratio (SINR).

It is assumed that there are a first reference value TH1 and a second reference value TH2 as thresholds on the signal quality map, and the signal strength is represented by three levels of good, marginal, and poor. If the measured signal strength is greater than TH1, it is 'G (good)'. If the measured signal strength is between TH1 and TH2, it is 'M (middle)'. If the measured signal strength is less than TH2, it is 'P (bad)'. The number of levels is only an example.

Referring to the example of FIG. 4 , an example in which the signal quality is changed in the order of G -> M -> P -> M -> G when the vehicle travels along the driving path 310 from point A to point B shows The signal quality map may include information about a section on the driving route 310 and signal quality in each section.

In a section with poor signal strength, communication quality between the server and the vehicle deteriorates, making it difficult to exchange information. When communication in vehicles is not frequent, the communication quality is determined mainly by fixed features such as surrounding buildings, so that the change in communication quality is not large. However, as communication in vehicles becomes frequent, communication quality also changes due to changing characteristics such as interference between vehicles, so it is necessary to measure the communication quality between the server and the vehicle in real time. Therefore, there is a need to update information about signal quality in real time.

The signal quality map may include information about the reference signal quality at a reference position (or reference interval). The signal quality map may include information about one or more reference signal qualities. The signal quality map may be generated integrally with the geographic map for driving information, or may be generated separately from the geographic map. The reference position includes a position where the reference signal quality is measured. The reference section includes a section in which the reference signal quality is measured. The reference time includes a time at which the reference signal quality is measured. The reference sensor includes information about the sensor from which the reference signal quality was measured. The signal quality map may include information about at least one of a reference position, a reference interval, a reference time, and a reference sensor.

The signal quality may include one or more indicators indicating the quality of communication between the vehicle and the server. The signal quality may include at least one of signal strength, latency, bandwidth, and GPS accuracy. The delay time may represent a delay time in communication between the vehicle and the server (or the vehicle and the base station). The bandwidth may indicate the maximum bandwidth (and/or minimum bandwidth) used in communication between the vehicle and the server (or the vehicle and the base station).

5 illustrates a map generation method according to an embodiment of the present specification. The operation of the vehicle may be implemented by a control device of the vehicle and/or a wireless modem. The operation of the server may be implemented by a processor of the server.

In step S510, the server sends the signal quality map to the vehicle through a wireless medium. When a vehicle enters an area managed by the server, the server may send a signal quality map to the vehicle. Vehicles can also communicate with servers based on signal quality maps, even in areas they have never driven before.

In step S520, the vehicle communicates with the server through the wireless medium along the driving route of the vehicle based on the signal quality map. Then, the vehicle measures the signal quality along the driving path. A position at which the signal quality is measured on the driving route is referred to as a measurement position, a time at which the signal quality is measured is referred to as a measurement time, and a sensor at which the signal quality is measured is referred to as a measurement sensor.

The vehicle may measure the signal quality when the driving route has been driven before. The vehicle may measure the signal quality when driving at least N times (N>1) along the driving path. The vehicle may measure the signal quality for every M (M>=1)th drive along the travel path.

In step S530, the vehicle updates the signal quality map based on the measured signal quality. The vehicle may update the signal quality map based on the measured reliability of the signal quality. The vehicle may update the signal quality map if the measured signal quality is different from the reference signal quality in the signal quality map. The difference between the reference signal quality and the measured signal quality may mean that the difference between the reference signal quality and the measured signal quality is greater than a reference value.

Even if the reference signal quality in the signal quality map is different from the measured signal quality, the vehicle may update the signal quality map when a specific condition is satisfied. The specific condition may include reliability of the measured signal quality. The reliability of the measured signal quality may be determined based on a measurement position, a measurement time, and a measurement sensor. If the vehicle (i) the measurement position and the reference position are within a specific distance, (ii) the measurement time is later than the reference time, and (iii) the accuracy of the measurement sensor is higher than the accuracy of the reference sensor , the signal quality map may be updated. When at least one of the conditions (i) to (iii) is satisfied, the vehicle may update the signal quality map.

The accuracy of the sensor may be estimated based on a manufacturing year of the vehicle, a model number of the vehicle, a sensor type, and a sensor resolution.

The signal quality map may include information about a reference interval associated with a reference signal quality. The vehicle may update the signal quality map when the measurement location belongs to the reference section.

If the reliability is high, the signal quality map can be updated to avoid too frequent updates.

In step S540, the vehicle may transmit the updated signal quality map to the server via a wireless medium. The server can communicate with other vehicles based on the updated signal quality map.

The server and vehicle can maintain more stable communication by obtaining section information with poor signal quality based on the signal quality map. By updating the signal quality map based on highly reliable information, it is possible to increase the accuracy of the signal quality. By storing and updating the signal quality map directly by the vehicle, operation is possible even if the connection with the server is lost.

In autonomous driving or non-autonomous driving, the vehicle may predict, based on the signal quality map, how much quality or stability it can maintain communication with the server on the driving route. When entering an area with good signal quality, the vehicle can exchange high-quality/large-capacity messages with the server. When entering an area with poor signal quality, the vehicle can exchange a reduced amount of messages with the server, or only essential messages.

6 shows another example of generating a signal quality map.

For driving routes where vehicles travel frequently, such as traveling from home to work or from work to home, a more detailed signal quality map can be created.

Consider a travel path 610 moving from point A to point B. There are a plurality of reference locations designated by the server. The vehicle receives from the server a signal quality map relating to a corresponding reference signal quality.

The vehicle may establish one or more auxiliary reference positions between the two reference positions. The vehicle measures the signal quality at each auxiliary reference location and stores it as the auxiliary reference signal quality. Thereafter, when the vehicle travels on the driving path 610 again, signal quality is measured not only in the reference position but also in the auxiliary reference position. If the measured signal quality differs from the auxiliary signal quality, the signal quality map can be updated. It can be updated based on reliability.

There is no restriction on the method or number of auxiliary reference positions. The vehicle may identify more detailed signal quality on the driving path 610 through the added auxiliary reference position.

If the signal quality at the auxiliary reference location differs by more than two levels from the signal quality at the adjacent reference location, or if the signal quality at the auxiliary reference location is updated frequently, the vehicle will notify the server of the auxiliary reference location and the associated auxiliary reference signal. Information about quality can be notified. The server may additionally set the notified auxiliary reference position as a new reference position or replace the existing reference position with the notified auxiliary reference position.

7 shows an example in which the autonomous driving vehicle is driven.

The autonomous vehicle 710 is traveling toward an intersection where there is no traffic light. Vehicle 720 is also traveling toward the intersection. Although the autonomous vehicle 710 monitors its surroundings through a camera and/or a sensor such as lidar, it may be difficult to detect the presence of the vehicle 720 in advance due to the building 725 .

8 shows another example in which the autonomous vehicle is driven.

The autonomous vehicle 810 is driving toward an intersection where there is no traffic light, and attempts to proceed to the right at the intersection. However, at the intersection, a pedestrian 830 is crossing the road. It may be difficult for the autonomous vehicle 810 to recognize the presence of the pedestrian 830 in advance due to the building 825 . However, the vehicle 820 traveling in the opposite direction may be aware of the presence of the pedestrian 830 in advance.

If the vehicle 820 can inform the autonomous vehicle 810 of the presence of the pedestrian 830 in advance, safer driving will be possible.

The general vehicle 820 may support communication with a server, but may not support V2V communication. Accordingly, the autonomous vehicle 810 determines a driving method based only on its own sensor data collected in real time. It may be difficult to ensure driving safety because the autonomous vehicle 810 cannot recognize a risk that occurs in a sensor shaded area (behind a building, over an obstacle, etc.) in the autonomous vehicle 810 .

9 illustrates an operation of assisting autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present specification.

The autonomous vehicle 910 may communicate with the server 930 to receive information about a driving environment on a driving route. When a risk threatening the safety of the autonomous driving vehicle 910 occurs in a shaded area (building/obstacle/other vehicle, etc.) that the sensor of the autonomous driving vehicle 910 cannot detect, the server 930 transmits the information to autonomous driving. It may be provided to the vehicle 910 to assist autonomous driving in real time.

The server 930 may include a processor 931 and a memory 932 . The memory 932 stores driving information and driving environment information. The processor 931 may implement the operation of the server 930 . The server 930 collects various information from the surrounding vehicles 920a and 920b. The server 930 may analyze information such as a sudden vehicle stop, the direction/speed of the vehicle protruding from the shaded area, and an expected collision point.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of assisting autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present specification.

The operation of the autonomous vehicle 910 may be performed by a control device. The autonomous vehicle 910 and the server 930 may exchange and update the signal quality map according to the embodiment of FIG. 5 or FIG. 6 .

In step S1010 , the autonomous vehicle 910 transmits a subscription request for requesting notification information about the surrounding situation to the server 930 . The subscription request may include at least one of an identifier of the autonomous vehicle 910 , a driving speed, a driving route, a current location, and a range of an area in which a surrounding situation is to be detected.

In step S1020 , the server 930 sends a response allowing the subscription to the autonomous vehicle 910 .

In step S1030 , the server 930 collects surrounding information from surrounding vehicles and surrounding devices (eg, pedestrian mobile devices).

In step S1040 , the autonomous vehicle 910 may provide driving information to the server 930 while driving. The driving information may include at least one of a driving speed, a driving route, a current location, and a range of a region in which a surrounding situation is to be sensed.

In step S1050, the server 930 sends an assisting message to the autonomous vehicle 910 (S1050). Ancillary messages may be generated and transmitted periodically. Alternatively, the auxiliary message may be generated and transmitted based on a specific condition. The specific condition may be related to safety or control of the autonomous vehicle 910 .

The server 930 determines a risk of collision between the autonomous vehicle 910 and an object based on surrounding information of the autonomous vehicle 910 . The object may be a nearby vehicle, a pedestrian, an obstacle, or the like. The server 930 may generate an assisting message when the risk of collision exceeds a predetermined criterion. For example, if it is expected to overlap with the driving path of the autonomous vehicle 910 in consideration of the speed and traveling direction of the surrounding vehicle, the server 930 may generate an auxiliary message. If a collision with a preceding obstacle is expected in consideration of the speed and the traveling direction of the autonomous vehicle 910 , the server 930 may generate an auxiliary message.

The auxiliary message may be generated as one selected from among a plurality of types. For example, the auxiliary message may be generated as a first type message or a second type message. The number of types is only an example. The plurality of types may have different sizes (eg, different number of bits).

In one embodiment, server 930 may select the type of auxiliary message according to the type of conflict. If the risk of collision is not imminent, the first type message may be selected, and if the risk of collision is imminent, the second type message may be selected.

In another embodiment, the server 930 may select the type of auxiliary message based on the signal quality of the signal quality map. If the signal quality is good, the first type message may be selected, and if the signal quality is poor, the second type message may be selected.

The first type message may have more detailed information or a larger amount of information. The first type message may include identification information through which the autonomous vehicle 910 can identify the object. The identification information may include a location/velocity/advance direction of an object expected to collide, an expected collision point, and the like.

The second type message may include information about the degree of the collision. For example, the second type message may include information warning of collision, such as 'collision warning' and 'collision risk'.

The second type message may include control information related to the control of the autonomous vehicle 910 . The control information may include actions recommended for the autonomous vehicle 910 to avoid a collision, such as 'decelerate', 'accelerate', 'stop', 'rotate', and 'switch to manual mode'.

The first type message and the second type message may be generated in different formats. For example, the first type message may be generated as Prove Vehicle Data (PVD). The second type message may be generated as a Basic Safety Message (BSM).

Upon receiving the auxiliary message, the autonomous vehicle 910 may drive in the safe driving mode, switch to the manual mode, or make an emergency stop according to the contents of the auxiliary message.

The autonomous vehicle can recognize the surrounding situation in real time by using both sensor information and information from the server, so driving safety can be improved.

In the exemplary system described above, the methods are described on the basis of a flowchart as a series of steps or blocks, however, the present invention is not limited to the order of steps, and some steps may occur in a different order or concurrent with other steps as described above. can In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that the steps shown in the flowchart are not exhaustive and that other steps may be included or that one or more steps in the flowchart may be deleted without affecting the scope of the present invention.

Claims (12)

1. In a method performed by a server to assist autonomous driving,

   receive information about a driving route from the autonomous vehicle;

   collecting surrounding information of the autonomous vehicle on the driving route;

   determining a risk of collision between the autonomous vehicle and an object based on the surrounding information;

   if the risk of collision exceeds a predetermined criterion, generate an assisting message;

   and sending the assistance message to the autonomous vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1,

   The auxiliary message is generated as a first type message or a second type message, and the first type message and the second type message have different sizes.
3. 3. The method of claim 2,

   The method of claim 1, wherein the first type message includes information by which the autonomous vehicle can identify the object.
4. 4. The method of claim 3,

   The second type message includes information about the extent of the collision.
5. 4. The method of claim 3,

   The second type message comprises information about the control of the autonomous vehicle.
6. 3. The method of claim 2,

   the method

   exchanging a signal quality map with the autonomous vehicle;

   Further comprising determining a signal quality between the autonomous vehicle and the server based on the signal quality map,

   The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first type message and the second type message is selected according to the signal quality.
7. In the server supporting autonomous driving,

   processor; and

   a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to perform a function, the function comprising:

   receive information about a driving route from the autonomous vehicle;

   collecting surrounding information of the autonomous vehicle on the driving route;

   determining a risk of collision between the autonomous vehicle and an object based on the surrounding information;

   if the risk of collision exceeds a predetermined criterion, generate an assisting message;

   and transmitting the auxiliary message to the autonomous vehicle.
8. 8. The method of claim 7,

   The auxiliary message is generated as a first type message or a second type message, and the first type message and the second type message have different sizes.
9. 9. The method of claim 8,

   The server, characterized in that the first type message includes information by which the autonomous vehicle can identify the object.
10. 10. The method of claim 9,

    The second type message includes information about the degree of the collision.
11. 10. The method of claim 9,

    The second type message server, characterized in that it includes information about the control of the autonomous vehicle.
12. 9. The method of claim 8,

    The function is

    exchanging a signal quality map with the autonomous vehicle;

    Further comprising determining a signal quality between the autonomous vehicle and the server based on the signal quality map,

    The server, characterized in that one of the first type message and the second type message is selected according to the signal quality.

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